Man killed after firing shot at Houston airport

Security at Bush Intercontinental Airport stand at the bottom of the escalators as police investigate a shooting near Terminal B on Thursday, May 2, 2013 in Houston. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Cody Duty)

(Updated at 9:51 p.m.) HOUSTON — A man who had fired a gun inside a ticketing area at Houston’s largest airport was killed after being confronted by a law enforcement official during an incident that sent people in the terminal scrambling and screaming, police said Thursday.

It’s unclear if the man fatally shot himself or was killed by a Homeland Security agent who had confronted him, said Houston police spokesman Kese Smith. The man’s name was not released by police, but they said he was about 30-years-old.

Police say the man walked into the ticketing area in Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport around 1:35 p.m. and fired at least one shot into the air. The agent, who was in his office, came out and confronted the man, telling him to drop his weapon, but the man refused, police said.

“The suspect then turned toward the special agent. The special agent, fearing for his safety and all the passengers in the terminal, discharged his weapon at the same time it appears the suspect may have shot himself,” Smith said.

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The man died at the scene. An autopsy will be conducted Friday.

Police would not say what kind of weapon the man had.

The terminal was closed immediately after the shooting. But later Thursday, parts of the terminal were reopened to passengers. The rest of the airport remained open after the shooting.

Darian Ward, a spokeswoman for the Houston Airport System, said some passengers who were scheduled to leave from Terminal B were rerouted to other terminals.

Dale Howard, of Tomball, was at the baggage handling area of the airport waiting for his sister to arrive on an incoming flight when he heard two shots fired from the floor above. A few seconds later, he said he heard three more shots.

“People were screaming. I knew exactly what it was — gunfire,” Howard said.

Police from an adjacent station rushed in, and Howard said he directed them to the floor above.

Greg Newburn, who was in the terminal waiting for a flight to Oklahoma City, said he was sitting in a cafe area when he heard two gunshots and after a pause, several more.

“It seemed like quite a few shots. Everyone was scrambling, running left and running right, turning tables up and hiding behind tables. Nobody knew what was happening. I couldn’t tell where the shots were coming from,” he said.

Newburn, from Gainesville, Fla., said it took him a few seconds to realize that the shots had come from the ticketing area, near the security checkpoint.

(Updated at 5:48 p.m.) HOUSTON — A man who had fired a gun inside a ticketing area at Houston’s largest airport was killed after being confronted by a law enforcement official during an incident that sent people in the terminal scrambling and screaming, police said Thursday.

It’s unclear if the unidentified man fatally shot himself or was killed by a Homeland Security agent who had confronted him, said Houston police spokesman Kese Smith.

Police say the man walked into the ticketing area in Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport around 1:35 p.m. and fired at least one shot into the air. The agent, who was in his office, came out and confronted the man, telling him to drop his weapon. The man refused, so the agent shot at him, Smith said.

At the same time the agent was firing, it appeared the gunman was shooting himself, Smith said.

The man died at the scene. An autopsy will be conducted Friday.

Police would not say what kind of weapon the man had.

The terminal was closed, but the rest of the airport was still running. Houston police Capt. Dwayne Ready said the terminal was still an active crime scene and it was unclear when it would be reopen.

Darian Ward, a spokeswoman for the Houston Airport System, said passengers who were scheduled to leave from Terminal B were being rerouted to other terminals.

Dale Howard, of Tomball, was at the baggage handling area of the airport waiting for his sister to arrive on an incoming flight when he heard two shots fired from the floor above. A few seconds later, he said he heard three more shots.

“People were screaming. I knew exactly what it was — gunfire,” Howard said.

Police from an adjacent station rushed in, and Howard said he directed them to the floor above.

HOUSTON — Shots were fired near a ticket counter at Houston’s largest airport on Thursday, critically injuring one armed man and sending people in the terminal scrambling and screaming, a Houston police spokesman and witnesses said.

A call that there had been a “discharge of firearms” came into police at 1:35 p.m., John Cannon, the spokesman, said. The shots were fired near the ticket counter in Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport, he said. One person has been taken to an area hospital with life threatening injuries. It was not immediately clear who fired the shots.

Dale Howard, of Tomball, was at the baggage handling area of the airport waiting for his sister to arrive on an incoming flight when he heard two shots fired from the floor above. A few seconds later, he said he heard three more shots.

“People were screaming. I knew exactly what it was — gunfire,” Howard said.

Police from an adjacent station rushed in, and Howard said he directed them to the floor above.

Parts of the terminal remained blocked off as police investigated the shooting. The airport announced on its Twitter feed that the terminal had been closed and passengers would be redirected to other terminals.

Darian Ward, a spokeswoman for the Houston Airport System, confirmed the terminal had been closed but said the airport was still operating. Passengers who were scheduled to leave from Terminal B are being rerouted to other terminals, she said.

A “lone armed man” was injured in the shooting, Ward added.

Greg Newburn, who was in the terminal waiting for a flight to Oklahoma City, said he was sitting in a cafe area when he heard two gunshots and after a pause, several more.

“It seemed like quite a few shots. Everyone was scrambling, running left and running right, turning tables up and hiding behind tables. Nobody knew what was happening. I couldn’t tell where the shots were coming from,” he said.

Newburn, from Gainesville, Fla., said it took him a few seconds to realize that the shots had come from the terminal ticketing area, near the security checkpoint. Newburn said he didn’t see who had fired the shots.